Science Curriculum

Science

Science is one of the core curriculum subjects that is taught throughout school. At St. Gabriel’s we aim for the teaching of this subject to be of a practical nature, thus allowing the children to explore the world around them, whilst ensuring they are provided with and engaged in practical first hand experiences and investigations. This approach is fundamental to the acquisitions of both scientific knowledge and skills.

In Key Stages One and Two we have exciting lessons. Key Stage One are taught science for 1.5 hours per week and Key Stage Two, 2 hours per week. Some science lessons are blocked and act as driver questions for the schools topic work.

Each year group follows the New National Curriculum expectations for science, which is supplemented by the ‘Learning Challenges’ produced by FOCUS education. Planning is also supported from long term planning from Lancashire and Hamilton trust.

Each science unit begins with pre-learning, followed by questions that can be investigated to make the learning more relevant. There are specific weeks timetabled throughout the year to complete our work on seasonal changes. Children will be expected to be able to identify differing plants, flowers, trees and grasses as part of this, as well as the animals in specific habitats.

The science curriculum is further enhanced by inviting a variety of visitors into school, as well as trips out of school that will be relevant to the topic(s) being taught.

Year 1 have been thinking about the different foods that different animals eat. This then helped them to sort the animals into the categories carnivore, herbivore, omnivore.

Year 2 have been learning about materials and their properties. They sorted and classified the materials into self-chosen criteria.

Year 3 have been learning about forces and magnets. They used magnets to paint with by dipping magnetic materials into paint, placing onto paper and moving a magnet underneath the paper to make the metal object move.

Year 4 have been learning about solids, liquids and gases. They explored the question – Does gas have any weight?